Jason Todd Topping, age 53, was sentenced on March 20 to 168 months in prison for convictions related to the receipt of child pornography. Topping pleaded guilty on December 19, 2025.
According to court documents, a concerned citizen reported suspicions that Topping was engaging in sexual activity with a minor at Mobile Police Department Headquarters. The Mobile Police Department began an investigation and seized Topping’s cell phone. Authorities found videos depicting Topping engaging in sexual activity with a minor who was confirmed to be between the ages of 16 and 17 at the time the videos were made. Investigators determined that these videos were created on the minor’s phone and sent to Topping at his request.
United States District Judge Kristi DuBose imposed a sentence including a term of incarceration lasting nearly fourteen years and a fifteen-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. During his incarceration, Topping will undergo sex offender treatment and mental health treatment. He is also required to register as a sex offender upon release and is prohibited from having contact with minors. Additionally, he must pay $100 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced the sentencing decision.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) along with the Mobile Police Department, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Kacey Chappelear prosecuted it on behalf of the United States.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local agencies.
